Lever action firearm



FIGJ

Jan. 8, 1957 Original Filed July 25 E. c. NEAL 2,776,513

LEVER ACTION FIREARM 2 Sheets-Sheet l mmvrom- ERNEST C. NEIAL Jan. 8, 1957 E. c. NEAL LEVER ACTION FIREARM 2 Sheets-Sheet 2 Original Filed July 25, 1951 mmvron- ERNEST C. NEAL 8Y.'-

United States Patent LEVER ACTION FIREARM Ernest C. Neal, Chicago, Ill., assignor of one-half to Elmer Braudell, Chicago, Ill.

Original application July 25, 1951, Serial No. 238,417. Divided and this application August 20, 1952, Serial No. 305,429

12 Claims. (Cl. 42- 16) The present invention relates in general to firearms or guns embodying breech mechanism operable in the loading and firing of explosive cartridges in the gun, the invention having more particular reference to improved means for actuating the breech mechanism of firearms, comprising subject matter of invention divided from a copending application for U. S. Letters Patent Serial No. 238,417, filed July 25, 1951, and now abandoned.

Devices of the character mentioned commonly comprise a breech structure embodying a breech frame providing a chamber for receiving a cartridge, a barrel connected at one end in the breech structure, in communication with the cartridge chamber, a bolt projectibly movable in the breech frame for delivering a cartridge into and holding the same in firing position in the chamber, the bolt being retractibly movable for ejecting the shell of the cartridge after the same has been fired in the gun.

Such breech structures also commonly comprise a usually spring pressed hammer carried on the bolt and including a firing pin adapted to strike upon and fire a cartridge in the chamber, said hammer being movable on the bolt against the spring to cock the same in firing position, in response to shell ejecting retraction of the hammer on the breech frame. Trigger means is also commonly provided for holding the hammer in cocked position, such trigger means usually including a depressible finger projecting from the breech structure and hence manually operable to release the hammer for the firing of the cartridge. Firearms, furthermore, usually comprise suitable support means for the barrel and breech structure, such support means commonly including a shoulder stock having a handle portion adjacent the projecting trigger finger; and manually operable mechanism is commonly provided for actuating the bolt. The present invention relates especially to improved bolt actuating mechanism in guns of the character mentioned.

Heretofore, mechanism for operating the bolts of firearms has consisted of a member manually movable with respect to the breech frame and drivingly connected directly with the bolt, to reciprocate the same in the breech structure in response to corresponding movement of such manually movable member.

In so-called lever action guns the manually movable member commonly comprises a simple lever pivotally mounted at one end on and beneath the breech structure and formed as a manually operable handle at its opposite end, the lever having direct connection with the bolt and extending normally with its handle portion resting immediately beneath and against the handle portion of the gun stock, adjacent the trigger. Such a simple lever may be moved downwardly, away from the stock, to retract the bolt in the breech structure, and may thereafter be returned to normal position snugly against the stock handle to project the bolt into and to lock and hold the same in cartridge firing position. The travel of such a simple lever required to move the bolt is of the order of 90 about the axis of its pivotal mounting on the breech structure, whereby substantial movement of the hand of the 2,776,513 Patented Jan. 8, 1957 operator of the gun is required to .retract the bolt for the ejection of an exploded cartridge shell and the subsequent return of the bolt to firing position in the breech structure.

An important object of the present invention is to substantially reduce the time required as well as the manual movement necessary in actuating the bolt of a gun.

Another important object is to provide a bolt actuating mechanism comprising a manually operable member which need be moved through a minimum displacement in actuating the bolt of the gun; a further object being to provide mechanism in which the force required to operate the bolt is substantially less than that required in conventional mechanisms.

Another important object is to provide a mechanism for actuating the bolt of a gun and comprising a manually operable member, and an auxiliary bolt actuating lever member, both mounted for movement on the breech structure of the gun and drivingly interconnected by cam means, whereby relatively small movement imparted in the manually operable member will cause the bolt actuating lever to tilt on its pivot sufliciently to actuate the bolt; a further object being to provide one of the members with a driving roller in position to work against a cam shoulder formed on the other.

Another important object is to provide a bolt actuating mechanism comprising a manually operable lever member which need be moved on its pivot through a minimum angular displacement of an order appreciably less than forty-five degrees in actuating the bolt of the gun; a further object being to provide lever mechanism in which the force required to operate the bolt is substantially less than that required in conventional lever mechanisms.

Another important object is to apply a compound lever mechanism, comprising a manually operable main and an auxiliary bolt driving lever and embodying a shifting fulcrum connection between the levers, for the purpose of operating the bolt of a gun smoothly and rapidly, such mechanism requiring minimum effort to move the parts, and minimum displacement of the manually operable lever in operating the bolt of the gun.

Another important object is to provide compact bolt actuating mechanism having the advantages mentioned and which does not increase the bulk or size of the gun in which it is assembled, nor materially increase the weight thereof, nor render the same clumsy either in appearance or action; a further object being to provide mechanism which can be readily applied in existing gun structures without necessitating the alteration of the basic breech structure and mechanism of the firearm.

The foregoing and numerous other important objects, advantages and inherent functions of the invention will become apparent as the same is more clearly understood from the following description, which, taken in conjunction with the following drawings, discloses preferred forms of the invention.

Referring to the drawings:

Fig. I is a side view of a gun containing lever mechanism embodying the present invention; and

Figs. II and III are enlarged views of the structure shown in Fig. I illustrating the parts in several relatively shifted positions.

To illustrate the invention the drawings show a gun and constituent parts thereof comprising a support embodying a stock having a handle portion 110 and a forearm portion 109, a barrel 111 and breech structure mounted on the support. The breech structure may comprise a frame 112 forming a cartridge chamber and a cartridge magazine, and a bolt 113i longitudinally movable in the frame from advanced breech locking position to a retracted position. In moving toward retracted position, the bolt may extract the shell of a fired cartridge from the chamber and eject the same from the breech structure. An untired or live cartridge may be delivered from the magazine into firing position in the chamber in response to movement of the bolt from retracted to advanced breech looking or closing position. When in such breech closing position the bolt abuts, at its end, against the end of a cartridge in firing position in the chamber, thus enclosing the cartridge tightly therein.

The bolt carries a hammer 114 having a head and a firing pin. The bolt may also carry a spring serving to normally urge the hammer on the bolt in a direction toward the chamber closing end of the bolt. Trigger means may also be provided for retaining the hammer in cocked position on the bolt, against the influence of the spring, when the bolt is in breech closing position, said trigger means being operable at will to release the hammer on the bolt for movement toward and impact of its firing pin upon the bolt engaged end of a cartridge held in the chamber, such impact firing the cartridge.

To this end trigger means may be provided on the frame 112, said trigger means including a pivoted trigger element 115, a biasing spring 116 and a trigger actuated sear 117 having a hammer detent 118. The trigger element 115 may be provided with a depending manually movable finger 115' extending downwardly of the frame 112. The spring normally urges the trigger element on its pivot in a direction to hold the sear in position to engage its detent 118 with the head of the hammer 114, to thus retain the same in cocked relationship. By pressing the finger 115' to move the trigger element against the influence of its biasing spring the detent of the sear may be retracted to release the hammer for cartridge firing movement on the bolt.

The gun also includes manually operable means for moving the bolt from projected or breech closing position to a retracted position and for returning the bolt to breech closing position, in order successively to eject the shell of a fired cartridge, to engage the head of the hammer with the sear detent, to deliver an unfired cartridge into and to lock the same in firing position in the chamber of the gun, while simultaneously cocking the hammer on the bolt.

The manually operable bolt actuating mechanism of the present invention may comprise a main or manually operable lever 126 and an auxiliary lever 127 respectively pivoted on mounting pins 126 and 127' mounted in spaced relationship on and below the frame 112 of the breech structure. The auxiliary lever is pivoted at one end on the pin 127' and has a driving pin 124 at its other end in position to engage in a cam groove 125 of the bolt, whereby the pin 124 may operate in the groove 125 to move the bolt from breech closing to retracted position when the lever 126 is moved from its normal or folded position, shown in Fig. II, to the projected position, shown in Fig. III, and to return the bolt to breech closing position in response to the return movement of the lever 126 from its projected position to the collapsed or folded position. The manually operable lever 26 is pivoted at one end on the pin 126' and is formed at its opposite end with an operating handle 129 shaped to lie snugly against the underside of the handle portion 110' of the gun stock. The main and auxiliary levers 126 and 127 are drivingly interconnected by suitable power multiplying means which, in the illustrated embodiment, comprises a roller mounted on one lever in position to engage a cam surface on the other. As shown, the main lever 126 carries a roller 130 mounted thereon and the auxiliary lever is formed with a cam slot 131 extending between driving and mounting pivots 124 and 127'. The parts are assembled with the roller 130 extending in the slot 131.

The manually operable and bolt actuating levers 126 and 127 may be assembled as original parts of the gun structure, the same being pivotally mounted on the spaced pins 126 and 127' carried on a lug 121', preferably com! prising an integral dependent extension formed on the breech frame 112 of the gun. The lever 126' may be and preferably is in the form of a bellcrank having an arm providing the handle 129 and an adjacent trigger guard 129, said arm being formed with a notched portion 134 for the accommodation of the safety latch 135 of the gun when the lever 126 is in collapsed position folded against the handle portion of the gun butt 110. The bellcrank lever 126 has an operating arm 129" extending substantially at right angles with respect to the handle 129, said arm 129 carrying the driving roller which rides in the cam slot 131 in the lever 127.

It will be noted that the axes of the lever pivots 126' and 127' are disposed in parallel spaced relation in a common plane which extends at the lower side of the gun frame 112, and that, when in folded position, the handle 129 extends generally at the side of the auxiliary lever pivot 127' remote from the manually operable lever pivot.

When the bolt is in its projected or chamber closing position in the breech structure, the manually operable lever 126 will occupy a collapsed, retracted or folded position disposed snugly against the lower side of the handle portion of the gun stock and generally adjacent the plane common to the axes of the pivots 126' and 127'. When in such position, the roller 130 will be disposed in the end of the slot 131 adjacent the driving pin 124, remote from the pivot pin 127' and spaced from the plane common to the axes of the pivots 126' and 127. As the lever 126 is drawn or pulled downwardly away from the stock, and away from the common plane of the axes of the pivots 126' and 127', the roller will ride along the inner side of the slot 131 in a direction therein toward the pivot pin 127', thus moving the roller toward the common plane of the pivot axes and drawing the auxiliary lever 127 in a counterclockwise direction, viewing Fig. II, initially with maximum force and subsequently with diminishing force, as the parts approach the open position shown in Fig. Ill. During such movement, the auxiliary lever 127 will turn on its pivot 127' sufiiciently to draw the bolt 113 to its fully retracted position, thereby engaging the head of the hammer 114 with the detent 118 of the sear.

Thereafter, in returning the lever 126 from its pro-' jected or open position toward normal or closed position against the stock, the roller 130 will ride along the outer edge of the slot 131 away from the mounting pin 127', thus applying a progressively increasing turning movement upon the auxiliary lever 127, thereby driving the bolt with progressively increasing force toward chamber closing position in the breech structure, and simultaneously cocking the hammer with respect to the bolt against the influence of the hammer spring.

It will be seen that, during bolt retracting movement of the mechanism, the roller 130 will move progressively toward the common plane of the axes of pivots 126' and 127', and will move away from said plane during bolt movement in the reverse direction toward chamber closing position. It will be seen also that the operating movement of the manually operable lever 126 is of the order of thirty degrees of angular displacement of the lever on the pin 126', in order to accomplish the full retraction and projection of the bolt, as compared with movement in excess of 90 of movement required in conventional lever mechanisms. In addition, by pro viding increasing power multiplication during the latter stages of bolt closing movement, during which the tensiom'ng of the hammer spring provides increasing resistance to bolt closing movement, the action of the mechanism is made smoother and more uniform. It will be noted that the lever 126 may include a finger portion 128 which, with the trigger guard portion 129', forms a closed loop within which the trigger finger of the operator may remain during the operation of the lever 126 and thus aid in such operation. Such finger portion may be omitted, if desired.

It will be seen from the foregoing that the present invention employs power multiplying cam means for accomplishing substantial bolt actuating movement of the auxiliary or bolt driving lever 127 in response to relatively small displacement of the manually operable element 126. As shown herein, the manually operable element comprises a movable member drivingly connected with the bolt actuating lever by means of a roller working on a cam whereby power multiplication and movement acceleration of varying degree is accomplished during the operating movement of the bolt actuating lever. It will be apparent that the valuable features of the invention are not necessarily limited to mechanism in which the bolt actuating lever is driven by a manually operable lever, but that the teachings of the invention may be applied to advantage in slide action firearms of the so-called pump gun type.

It is thought that the invention and its numerous attendant advantages will be fully understood from the foregoing description, and it is obvious that numerous changes may be made in the form, construction and arrangement of the several parts without departing from the spirit or scope of the invention, or sacrificing any of its attendant advantages, the form herein disclosed being a preferred embodiment for the purpose of illustrating the invention.

The invention is hereby claimed as follows:

1. A firearm comprising a frame formed with a cartridge chamber at the top of the frame, a bolt movable on the frame for opening and closing the chamber, pivot mounting means on the frame below the chamber, a bolt driving lever pivoted at one end on said mounting means, the opposite end of said lever being drivingly connected with said bolt, a manually operable lever pivoted on said mounting means, and cam means drivingly connecting the manually operable lever with said bolt driving lever intermediate the ends thereof.

2. A firearm comprising a frame formed with a cartridge chamber at the top of the frame, a bolt movable on the frame for opening and closing the chamber, pivot mounting means on the frame below the chamber, a bolt driving lever pivoted at one end on said mounting means, the opposite end of said lever being drivingly connected with said bolt, a cam formed on said bolt driving lever intermediate its pivotally mounted and bolt connected ends, a manually operable lever pivoted on said mounting means, said manually operable lever comprising a bell crank having an arm forming a handle extending beneath said frame, and a driving arm drivingly engaged with said cam.

3. A firearm comprising a frame formed with a cartridge chamber at the top of the frame, a gun barrel connected to the forward end of said frame in communication with said chamber, a bolt movable on the frame for opening and closing the chamber, pivot mounting means on the frame below the chamber, a bolt driving lever supported at one end for rocking movement about a pivot axis on said mounting means, the opposite end of said lever being drivingly connected with said bolt, a manually operable lever pivotally supported on said mounting means adjacent and forwardly of said pivot axis, and cam means drivingly interconnecting said driving and manually operable levers.

4. A firearm comprising a frame formed with a cartridge chamber at the top of the frame, a bolt movable on the frame for opening and closing the chamber, pivot mounting means on the frame below the chamber, a bolt driving lever pivoted at one end on said mounting means, the opposite end of said lever being drivingly connected with said bolt, a manually operable lever pivoted on said mounting means, and cam means drivingly connecting the manually operable lever with said bolt driving lever intermediate the ends thereof,

said cam means comprising means forming an elongated cam surface on one of said levers, and a cam driving member on the other lever in position to drivingly engage with said cam surface.

5. A firearm comprising a frame formed with a cartridge chamber at the top of the frame, a bolt movable on the frame for opening and closing the chamber, pivot mounting means on the frame below the chamber, a bolt driving lever pivoted at one end on said mounting means, the opposite end of said lever being drivingly connected with said bolt, a manually operable lever pivoted on said mounting means, and cam means drivingly connecting the manually operable lever with said bolt driving lever intermediate the ends thereof, said cam means comprising an elongated slot formed in one of said levers and having an end disposed adjacent and an opposite end remote from the pivot on which the lever containing said slot is mounted, and a driving member on the other of said levers and spaced from the pivot on which said lever is mounted, said driving member extending in said slot for driving engagement with the lever in which the slot is formed.

6. A firearm comprising a frame formed with a cartridge chamber at the top of the frame, a bolt movable on the frame for opening and closing the chamber, pivot mounting means on the frame below the chamber, a bolt driving lever pivoted at one end on said mounting means,

the opposite end of said lever being drivingly connected with said bolt, a manually operable lever pivoted on said mounting means, and cam means drivingly connecting the manually operable lever with said bolt driving lever intermediate the ends thereof, said cam means comprising an elongated slot formed in one of said levers and having an end disposed adjacent and an opposite end remote from the pivot on which the lever containing said slot is mounted, and a driving member on the other of said levers and spaced from the pivot on which said lever is mounted, said driving member extending in said slot for driving engagement with the lever in which the slot is formed, said slot extending in a direction offset with respect to the pivot on which the lever containing the same is mounted.

7. A firearm comprising a frame formed with a cartridge chamber at the top of the frame, a bolt movable on the frame for opening and closing the chamber, pivot mounting means on the frame below the chamber, a bolt driving lever pivoted at one end on said mounting means, the opposite end of said lever being drivingly connected with said bolt, a manually operable lever pivoted on said mounting means, and cam means drivingly connecting the manually operable lever with said bolt driving lever intermediate the ends thereof, said bolt being formed with acam groove therein and said bolt actuating lever being formed with a driving abutment extending in said cam groove for actuating the bolt.

8. A firearm comprising a frame formed with a cartridge chamber at the top of the frame, a bolt movable on the frame for opening and closing the chamber, pivot mounting means on the frame below the chamber, a bolt actuating lever drivingly connected with said bolt and mounted for swinging movement about a pivot axis on the mounting means, said lever being formed with an elongated cam slot extending in a direction oifset with respect to said pivot axis, a bellcrank lever supported for swinging movement about a mounting axis on said mounting means, said bell crank lever having an arm forming a handle and a force transfer arm, and a driving pin on said transfer arm in position drivingly engaging said bolt actuating lever in said cam slot.

9. A firearm comprising a frame formed with a cartridge chamber at the top of the frame, a bolt movable on the frame for opening and closing the chamber, pivot mounting means on the frame below the chamber, a bolt actuating lever drivingly connected with said bolt and mounted for swinging movement about a pivot axis on the mounting means, said lever being formed with an elongated cam slot extending in a direction offset with respect to said pivot axis, a bellcrank lever supported for swinging movement about a mounting axis on said mounting means, said bell crank lever having an arm forming a handle and a force transfer arm, and a driving cam comprising a pin on said transfer arm in position drivingly engaging said bolt actuating lever in said cam slot, and movable therein continuously in one direction from one end of the slot toward its opposite end, and vice versa, respectively as .the levers are shifted to retract and project said bolt.

10. A firearm comprising a frame formed with a cartridge chamber at the top of the frame, a bolt movable on the frame between projected chamber closing and retracted chamber open positions, pivot mounting means on the frame below the chamber, a bolt actuating lever drivingly connected with said bolt and mounted for swinging movement about a pivot axis on the mounting means, said lever being formed with an elongated cam slot extending in a direction offset with respect to said pivot axis, a manually operable lever supported for swinging movement about a mounting axis spaced from said pivot axis on said mounting means, and a driving cam member on said manually operable lever in position drivingly engaging said bolt actuating lever in said cam slot, and movable therein continuously in one direction from the axis remote toward the axis adjacent end of the slot, as the levers are shifted to retract the bolt, and continuously in the opposite direction from the axis adjacent toward the axis remote end of the slot, as the levers are shifted to project the bolt.

11. A firearm comprising a frame formed with a cartridge chamber at the top of the frame, a bolt removable on the frame between projected chamber closing and retracted chamber open positions, pivot mounting means on the frame below the chamber, a bolt actuating lever drivingly connected with said bolt and mounted for swinging movement about a pivot axis on the mounting means, said lever being formed with an elongated cam slot extending in a direction oflFset with respect to said pivot axis, a manually operable lever supported for swinging movement about a mounting axis spaced from said pivot axis on said mounting means, and a driving cam member on said manually operable lever in position drivingly engaging said bolt actuating lever in said cam slot, said cam member being movable continuously in one direction progressively toward the plane common to said mounting and pivot axes as the levers are shifted to retract the bolt, and continuously in the opposite direction progressively away from the plane common to said mounting and pivot axes as the levers are shifted to project the bolt.

12. A firearm comprising a frame formed with a cartridge chamber, a bolt movable on the frame for opening and closing the chamber, said bolt having a cam groove therein, a bolt actuating lever mounted for swinging movement about a pivot axis on the frame and formed with a driving abutment extending in said cam groove to actuate the bolt, said lever being formed with an elongated cam slot having opposite ends respectively remote from and adjacent said pivot axis and extending in a direction offset with respect to said pivot axis and substantially normal to the radius of said pivot axis at the axis adjacent end of the slot, a manually operable lever supported for swinging movement about a mounting axis spaced from said pivot axis, and a driving pin on said manually operable lever in position drivingly engaging said bolt actuating lever in said cam slot, said manually operable lever comprising a bell crank having arms extending substantially at right angles the one with respect to the other, one of said arms forming an operating handle and the other carrying said driving pin.

References Cited in the file of this patent UNITED STATES PATENTS 619,132 Browning Feb. 7, 1899 833,803 Risley Oct. 23, 1906 864,940 Whittier Sept. 3, 1907 

